Exploring Survey-Based Water, Sanitation, and Animal Associations With Enteric Pathogen Carriage: Comparing Results in a Cohort of Cases With Moderate-to-Severe Diarrhea to Those in Controls in the Vaccine Impact on Diarrhea in Africa (VIDA) Study, 2015-2018

Colonization factors of human and animal-specific enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC)

Colonization factors (CFs) are major virulence factors of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC). This pathogen is among the most common causes of bacterial diarrhea in children in low- and middle-income countries, travelers, and livestock. CFs are major candidate antigens in vaccines under development as preventive measures against ETEC infections in humans and livestock. Recent molecular studies have indicated that newly identified CFs on human ETEC are closely related to animal ETEC CFs. Increased knowledge of pathogenic mechanisms, immunogenicity, regulation, and expression of ETEC CFs, as well as the possible spread of animal ETEC to humans, may facilitate the future development of ETEC vaccines for humans and animals. Here, we present an updated review of CFs in ETEC.